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Righteous Kill

Play trailer Poster for Righteous Kill R 2008 1h 40m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
18% Tomatometer 146 Reviews 37% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Detectives Thomas Cowan (Robert De Niro) and David Fisk (Al Pacino), 30-year veterans of the NYPD, investigate the murder of a pimp. The crime resembles a case they solved many years earlier. As the body count rises, they realize they're dealing with a vigilante taking over when the police fail. The similarities between past and present crimes leads the detectives to wonder if they put the wrong man behind bars.
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Righteous Kill

Righteous Kill

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Critics Consensus

Al Pacino and Robert De Niro do their best to elevate this dowdy genre exercise, but even these two greats can't resuscitate the film's hackneyed script.

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Critics Reviews

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Joshua Katzman Chicago Reader 12/09/2008
This thriller by Jon Avnet is mostly by the numbers, and its surprise ending, though effective, feels somewhat forced. Go to Full Review
Jason Matloff Boston Globe 10/18/2008
1.5/4
Say it ain't so, Bobby and Al. Go to Full Review
Marc Savlov Austin Chronicle 10/18/2008
1/5
There's nothing righteous about this tired and tiresome good cop/bad cop NYPD procedural from Avnet; in fact, it's pretty much an abomination from the get-go. Go to Full Review
Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review 06/05/2024
1/4
Given the downright sloppiness of the storytelling and squashed hopes that De Niro and Pacino might electrify the screen again, Righteous Kill is hugely disappointing. Go to Full Review
Emiliano Basile EscribiendoCine 05/11/2022
4/10
…the only thing these Oscar-ized actors are looking for is a paycheck. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Jason Best What's On TV 11/20/2020
De Niro and Pacino back together but firing blanks. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Ian R 6d I expected something good from a film with Dr Niro and Pacino. I was let down. Aside from a threadbare plot, the two of them trying to overcome their age was pathetic. A bad movie with a cast only in it for the paycheck. Don't bother with it. See more Daniel S Nov 26 Righteous Kill delivers an entertaining crime thriller despite clear flaws. Many viewers enjoy the experience even while recognizing limited award potential. The main draw comes from Robert De Niro and Al Pacino sharing extended screen time, a rare pairing that carries strong audience appeal. Director Jon Avnet builds a dark and tense atmosphere with a focus on mystery. The plot introduces several twists. Some twists follow predictable patterns, others add genuine suspense. Consistent tension keeps attention high and supports repeat viewing, especially for viewers who track narrative details. The most effective element involves role reversal. De Niro plays an aggressive and impulsive cop. Pacino adopts a controlled and restrained presence. This switch creates a fresh dynamic and raises engagement. Their on screen interaction drives pacing and energy. John Leguizamo adds conflict as a sharp and confrontational detective. Carla Gugino provides a polished presence. Curtis Jackson appears briefly and avoids overstaying his screen time. The script lacks depth and refined structure. Certain details perform better in execution than on the page, including the use of nicknames and morally ambiguous characters. The tone stays tense and ethically conflicted, which supports the overall narrative direction. The emotional impact falls short during the final act. The climactic moments aim for intensity yet fail to reach full emotional range. Despite this, the film avoids boredom and maintains steady engagement from start to finish. Righteous Kill delivers a solid suspense experience fueled by strong performances from two iconic actors. Fans of De Niro and Pacino gain clear value from their interaction and shared presence. The film works best as an entertaining thriller driven by performance rather than storytelling depth. See more Farah R. @Farah Oct 18 With two household names in the lead, one would expect this to be a better movie. Righteous Kill is incoherent and downright boring. Pacino and DiNero were both shockingly bad, and the plot twist ending came outta nowhere. See more Brian G Sep 29 Some top notch acting performances from both De Niro & Pacino and a much better film than the ratings suggest. See more Stephen C @bob25009 Jul 20 Success in 1 hour and 40 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated R for Pervasive Language, Brief Drug Use, Some Sexuality and Violence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $40,100,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more Sean S Apr 20 With two legends leading this billing you would expect at least an average movie but that just isn't the case. This movie should be much better than it is. See more Read all reviews
Righteous Kill

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Movie Info

Synopsis Detectives Thomas Cowan (Robert De Niro) and David Fisk (Al Pacino), 30-year veterans of the NYPD, investigate the murder of a pimp. The crime resembles a case they solved many years earlier. As the body count rises, they realize they're dealing with a vigilante taking over when the police fail. The similarities between past and present crimes leads the detectives to wonder if they put the wrong man behind bars.
Director
Jon Avnet
Producer
Avi Lerner, Jon Avnet, Randall Emmett, Lati Grobman, Alexandra Milchan
Screenwriter
Russell Gewirtz
Distributor
Overture Films
Production Co
Emmett/Furla Films, Millennium Films
Rating
R (Pervasive Language|Brief Drug Use|Some Sexuality|Violence)
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 12, 2008, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 27, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$40.1M
Runtime
1h 40m
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